"And he did?" said Ralph, quickly.
"Not immediately. Madame came up, and he secured his alibi. Then she turned him out by the front door. He went round by the back and entered the court. The window was still open. He got in and found Lady Branwin dead--"
"And the diamonds gone?"
"According to his story he was too terrified to wait and see. He scrambled out of the window again, and fairly ran away. In his hurry he left the key in the lock of the court door, after turning it."
"But the inner door was found locked also, and the key was on the nail in the still-room next day," said Shawe, quickly.
"Of course. When Madame turned Eddy out by the front, Badoura locked the inner door and restored the key to its nail. However, Eddy swears that Lady Branwin was dead when he entered, and he does not know who killed her."
"What is to be done now?" asked Audrey, in dismay.
Perry Toat replied promptly. "You and Mr. Shawe must come with me to London by the midday train. I have arranged a meeting with Madame Coralie and Eddy Vail in my office. Then when you, Mrs. Shawe, and you, Mr. Shawe, are face to face with them we may arrive at the truth."
"Why not arrange to have Sir Joseph and Miss Pearl present also?"
"Oh, you will probably see them down here to-morrow," said Perry Toat, drily. "Miss Pearl assured me that she would do her best to induce Sir Joseph to come down and be reconciled. More than that, she intends to come down with Sir Joseph herself. 'Blessed are the peace-makers,'" ended Miss Toat, grinning.